ES2858299T3 - Ether amines to improve sporicidal performance - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of removing bacterial spores in an article suspected of bacterial spore contamination, the method comprises: preparing a first use solution by mixing about 10 to about 2000 ppm of amine ether in water and a second use solution by mixing mixing from about 10 to about 2000 ppm of percarboxylic acid in water; apply the first use solution to the article; and applying the second use solution to the article.

Description

DESCRIPTION

Ether amines to improve sporicidal performance

Cross reference to related requests

This application is filed on February 23, 2017, as a PCT International Application, and claims the benefit of priority to the United States Provisional Application No. 62 / 299,616, filed on February 25, 2016. Field

The present disclosure relates to a composition and method for providing a sporicidal effect. In particular, the present disclosure relates to compositions comprising one or more ether amines and their derivatives and one or more peracids, and methods for the preparation and use of such compositions.

Background

Control of bacteria and their spores is desirable in industrial and institutional settings, including industrial and institutional cleaning and laundry applications. For example, it is desirable to reduce or eliminate bacterial spores, such as Clostridium difficile spores ("C. diff '), Clostridium botulinum ( " C. botulinum "), Clostridium sporogenes (" C. sporogenes "), Bacillus cereus ( " B. cereus ") and Bacillus subtilis ( " B. subtilis ") from surfaces, instruments, and industrial and institutional laundry (eg, healthcare facilities) to minimize the occurrence of diseases, such as intestinal infections caused by C. diff or B. cereus. Standard oxidative chemistries such as chlorine (eg, hypochlorite) and peracids may be effective against C. diff spores, but generally require high concentrations of chemicals. CDC recommends hypochlorite concentrations between 1,000-5,000 ppm for disinfection of C. diff spores on hard surfaces. However, this concentration is at least an order of magnitude higher than the typical hypochlorite dose. or 100 ppm to disinfect clothing.

WO 01/82694 A1 refers to a method for antimicrobial treatment which comprises applying to microbes a composition containing a diluting solvent (for example, water), a solvent with antimicrobial activity having a density different from the density of the solvent diluent, and an optional cosolvent, surfactant, or additional antimicrobial agent, wherein the amount of antimicrobial active solvent or additional antimicrobial agent is high enough and the amount of cosolvent or surfactant is low enough for the composition to provide a reduction in order of 1 log unit in the bacterial or spore population of Bacillus cereus in 10 seconds at 60 ° C.

It would be beneficial to provide a cost-effective, but efficient, method of sanitizing and / or disinfecting clothing (soft surfaces) and hard surfaces. In particular, it would be beneficial to provide an effective and cost-effective composition and method for reducing or eliminating bacterial spores, including C. diff, on clothing and on hard surfaces. Furthermore, it would be beneficial to provide a composition having sporicidal activity and better water solubility; to provide a composition having improved sporicidal activity and stability in the presence of water hardness; and providing a method of eradicating spores by a composition with improved solubility and stability in water.

Summary

A composition and method are used to treat items suspected of bacterial spore contamination. The composition and method are effective against selected bacterial spores from C. diff., C. botulinum, C. sporogenes, B. cereus, and B. subtilis. The article can be a textile or a hard surface. The method includes preparing a first use solution by mixing amine ether in water and a second use solution by mixing percarboxylic acid in water; apply the first use solution to the article; and applying the second use solution to the article. An alternative method includes preparing a mixture of amine ether, percarboxylic acid, and water, and applying the mixture to the article.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 is a two-chamber spray bottle that is used to house and apply the composition in accordance with one embodiment.

Detailed description

The present disclosure relates to methods of treating clothing or various surfaces to reduce bacterial spores. The present disclosure further relates to compositions with sporicidal activity exhibiting better solubility and stability in water.

As used in this invention, the term "sporicide" refers to a physical or chemical agent or process that has the ability to cause a greater than 90% reduction (1 log order reduction) in the Bacillus subtilis spore population, Clostridium difficile or Clostridium sporogenes in 30 minutes at room temperature.

According to some embodiments, the compositions and methods of the present disclosure are effective against spores of one or more of C. diff., C. botulinum, C. sporogenes, B. cereus, and B. subtilis. In at least one embodiment, the compositions and methods are effective against spores of C. diff., C. botulinum, C. sporogenes, B. cereus, and B. subtilis. For example, embodiments of the present compositions have advantageous sporicidal activity against C. diff and other difficult-to-kill bacterial endospores, such as C. sporogenes and B. subtilis. Furthermore, the present compositions are also active against vegetative bacteria, vegetative fungi, other bacterial spores, fungal spores, and viruses.

In certain embodiments, the sporicidal compositions of the invention provide greater than 99% reduction (2 log order reduction), greater than 99.9% reduction (3 log order reduction), greater than 99 reduction, 99% (reduction of the order of 4 log), or a greater than 99.999% reduction (reduction of the order of 5 log) in spore populations, or total inactivation of endospores in 30 minutes at room temperature. In one embodiment, the present sporicidal composition kills all bacterial endospores within a set time and temperature, eg, 30 minutes at room temperature. To test sporicidal efficacy, a test strip comprising bacterial spores can be used. Standard test methods can be used to evaluate composition and method efficiency, such as the ASTM E2274 method, as specified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Product Performance Test Guidelines ( EPA), document OCSPP 810.2400. ASTM E2274 requires that the test strips be inoculated into a bacteria solution containing at least 108 colony forming units (CFU) per ml. For the test to be valid, a minimum average of 1.0 x 104 CFU / carrier and 1.0 x 104 CFU / ml in the wash water must be recovered after the control system test.

The method and composition of the present disclosure can be used to treat a variety of surfaces, substances and articles for which it is desirable to reduce microbial contamination, particularly microbial contamination arising from spores of microorganisms. Examples of such substances and articles include textiles (e.g. cotton, wool, silk, rayon, viscose, and synthetic fabrics such as polyesters, polyolefins, and acrylics, fiber blends such as cotton-polyester blends, etc.), systems based on wood and cellulose (for example, paper), food handling surfaces (for example, countertops, food handling equipment and packaging, utensils), general premises surfaces (for example, floors, walls, ceilings, exterior of furniture, etc.) or equipment surfaces (for example, medical equipment, manufacturing equipment, processing equipment, etc.).

According to some embodiments, the compositions and methods of the present disclosure are more cost effective than treatments using hypochlorite and / or peracids in concentrations that achieve the same level of efficacy.

According to at least some embodiments, the composition of the present disclosure comprises one or more ether amines, one or more peracids, and optionally other antimicrobial agents and detersive components, such as surfactants. The composition can also include additional components, such as solvents, salts, pH modifiers, fillers, coloring agents, fragrances, etc.

The use of dodecylamine has been found to be beneficial against spore germination of pathogenic bacteria, such as C. diff. However, the inclusion of dodecylamine in an aqueous composition, such as a detergent composition, has been problematic due to the limited solubility of long chain amines, particularly in the presence of hardness of water. Ether amines in combination with peroxyacids have been found to show a synergistic sporicidal effect against bacterial spores, such as those of C. diff. Furthermore, it has been found that ether amines exhibit good solubility and stability in water. A comparison of the solubilities calculated for dodecylamine (CAS 124-22-1; a traditional amine) and 3-octyloxy-1-propanamine (CAS (15930-66-2; ether amine with the same chain length as dodecylamine ) is shown in the table below.

TABLE 1. Solubility

(continuation)

According to some embodiments, the composition is prepared from two parts, part I and part II, which can be applied consecutively, cumulatively or simultaneously. When parts I and II are applied consecutively, an article can be dealt with first with part I and then with part II. When Parts I and II are applied cumulatively, Part I can be applied first to the article and then Part II, without first removing Part I. Parts can also be applied in reverse order, first applying Part II and then Part II. part I, without first removing part II. In one embodiment, where the composition is used to treat the laundry, Parts I and II can be applied directly to the wash solution to create the composition. Parts I and II can be applied to the wash solution consecutively, cumulatively or simultaneously. In another embodiment, when the composition is used to treat a surface (e.g., a hard surface), Parts I and II can be applied directly to the surface (either consecutively, cumulatively, or simultaneously), or they can be diluted first and then apply to the surface, or it can be mixed to produce a mixture of Parts I and II that can then be applied to the surface. The term "composition" is used herein to refer to the use solution which can be a two-part solution with parts I and II, or a mixture comprising parts I and II. The designations "part I" and "part II" used herein are arbitrary and should not be construed as limiting.

Amines

In one embodiment, the present composition may include an effective amount (eg, sporicidal amount) of amine ether. The ether amine can be provided as part I of the composition, or it can be provided as part of a mixture of parts I and II.

Suitable ether amines include primary, secondary, or tertiary ether amines. Ether amines generally have the following formula: N (R ^a ) (R ^b ) (R ^c ), where at least one of R ^a , R ^b , and R ^c includes an ether moiety. For example, the amine ether can be:

a primary amine ether of Formula 1: R ¹ OR ² NH ² ;

a secondary amine ether of Formula 2: (R ¹ OR ² ) (R ³ OR ⁴ ) NH or of Formula 3: (R ¹ OR ² ) R ³ NH;

a tertiary amine ether of Formula 4: (R ¹ OR ² ) (R ³ OR ⁴ ) N (R ⁵ OR ⁶ ), of Formula 5: (R ¹ OR ² ) (R ³ OR ⁴ ) NR ⁵ , or of Formula 6:

(R ¹ OR ² ) R ³ NR ⁵ ;

a diamine of Formula 7: R ¹ OR ² NHR ³ NH ² ; or

a mix of these.

In suitable ether amines, R ¹ , R ² , R ³ , R ⁴ , R ^5, and R ⁵ can be independently selected from C1-C22 alkyl groups. In preferred embodiments, R ¹ comprises a relatively longer carbon chain, while R ² -R ⁶ comprises shorter carbon chains. Alkyl groups can be saturated or unsaturated, aliphatic or cyclic, unsubstituted or substituted, linear or branched. The ether amine can be in the form of a salt, such as an ammonium salt of ether. In one embodiment, the composition comprises one or more diamines.

Examples of suitable ether amines include alkyloxyalkylamines, such as hexyloxypropylamine, tetradecyloxypropyl-1,3-propylamine, and dodecyloxypropyl-1,3-propylamine; branched alkyloxyalkylamines, such as ethylhexyloxypropylamine, isotridecyloxypropylamine, and isodecyloxypropylamine; or alkyloxydiamines, such as octyloxypropyl-1,3-propylenediamine, decyloxypropyl-1,3-propylenediamine, isodecyloxypropyl-1,3-propylenediamine, dodecyloxypropyl-1,3-propylenediamine, tetradecyloxypropyl-1,3-propylenediamine, or isotridecylcyclopropyl-1, 3-propylenediamine.

Ether amines are commercially available, for example, from Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. in Allentown, PA; Clariant Corp. in Charlotte, NC; and BASF Corporation in Florham Park, New Jersey. Available products include, for example, TOMAMINE ^® PA-19, PA-1618, PA-1816, DA-18, DA-19, DA-1618 and DA-1816 from Air Products. In one embodiment, the composition comprises PA-14, DA-1214, DA-1618, or a combination of these.

Peracids

The composition comprises one or more peroxycarboxylic acids (also known as peracids) or salts thereof. In some embodiments, the composition comprises an aqueous balance of carboxylic acid and the corresponding peroxycarboxylic acid. Such equilibrium also typically includes an equilibrium amount of hydrogen peroxide. For example, the composition can comprise acetic acid, peroxyacetic acid, and hydrogen peroxide in equilibrium. Peroxycarboxylic acid can also be provided as a precursor (eg, an ester precursor) that can be converted to peroxycarboxylic acid (eg, by reacting the ester precursor with hydrogen peroxide). The peroxycarboxylic acid can be provided as part II of the composition, or it can be provided as part of a mixture of parts I and II.

Peroxycarboxylic (or percarboxylic) acids generally have the formula R (CO ³ H) ⁿ , where, for example, R is an alkyl, arylalkyl, cycloalkyl, aromatic, or heterocyclic group, and n is one, two, or three. The R group can be saturated or unsaturated, as well as substituted or unsubstituted. Peroxycarboxylic acids are typically named with peroxy before the parent acid.

The composition and methods of the invention may employ short and / or medium chain peroxycarboxylic acids containing, for example, 2 to 11, 2 to 7, or 2 to 5 carbon atoms. For example, medium chain peroxycarboxylic acids (or percarboxylic acids) may have the formula R (CO ³ H) ^n, where R is a C ¹ -C ⁶ alkyl group, a C ³ -C ¹¹ cycloalkyl, a C ⁵ arylalkyl group - C ¹¹ , C ⁵ -C ¹¹ aryl group (eg, C ⁶ ), or a C ⁵ -C ¹¹ heterocyclic group; and n is one, two, or three. Peroxyacetic (or peracetic) acid is a peroxycarboxylic acid that has the formula: CH ² COOOH. Peroxyhexanoic acid (or perhexanoic) is a peroxycarboxylic acid having the formula, for example, of n-peroxyhexanoic acid: CH ³ (CH ² ) ⁴ COOOH. The carbon chain of peroxyoctanoic acid can be a straight chain alkyl moiety, an acid with a branched alkyl moiety, or a mixture of these.

Suitable peroxycarboxylic acids include short chain peroxycarboxylic acids and medium chain peroxycarboxylic acids and mixtures of these. For example, suitable peroxycarboxylic acids include peroxyacetic, peroxybutanoic, peroxypropanoic, peroxypentanoic, peroxyhexanoic, peroxyheptanoic, peroxyoctanoic, peroxysalicylic, and peroxybenzoic acids. In certain embodiments, the peroxycarboxylic acid comprises peroxyacetic acid, peroxybutanoic acid, peroxypropanoic acid, peroxypentanoic acid, peroxyhexanoic acid, peroxyoctanoic acid, or a mixture of these. In one embodiment, the peroxycarboxylic acid includes or is peroxyacetic acid.

In some embodiments, it may be desirable to choose peroxycarboxylic acid with a short chain length that is not hydrophobic. For example, peroxycarboxylic acid can have a chain length of 4 carbons or less. In particular, if peroxycarboxylic acid is added to a solution along with the ether amine, the hydrophobicity caused by a longer chain length can cause the peroxycarboxylic acid and the ether amine to clump together, thus reducing the effectiveness of the solution. .

According to some embodiments, the composition comprises one or more carboxylic acids. Carboxylic acids can have one, two, three, or more carboxyl groups. The composition and methods of the invention typically employ short and / or medium chain carboxylic acids containing, for example, 2 to 12, 2 to 9, or 2 to 5 carbon atoms. For example, medium chain carboxylic acids have the formula R-COOH where R can be a C ¹ -C ¹¹ alkyl group, a C ³ -C ^{11 cycloalkyl group, a C 5} -C ¹¹ arylalkyl group, a C 5 -C 11 arylalkyl group. C ⁵ -C ¹¹ aryl (eg, C ⁶ ) or a C ⁵ -C ¹¹ heterocyclic group. Suitable carboxylic acids include acetic acid, butanoic acid, propanoic acid, pentanoic acid, hexanoic acid, heptanoic acid, octanoic acid, salicylic acid, benzoic acid, mixtures of these or the like. The alkyl backbones of the medium chain carboxylic acids can be straight chain, branched or a mixture of these.

According to the invention, the composition comprises an effective amount of ether amines and percarboxylic acids, applied separately as parts I and II, or as a mixture of parts I and II. When applied separately, a first use solution comprises about 10 ppm to about 2000 ppm of amine ether in water and a second use solution comprises about 10 ppm to about 2000 ppm of percarboxylic acid in water. The composition may comprise about 20 to 1500 ppm, about 25 to 1000 ppm, about 30 to 800 ppm, about 40 to 600 ppm, about 50 to 500 pm, or about 100 to 5000 ppm of ether amines. For example, the composition may comprise about 10 ppm, about 20 ppm, about 30 ppm, about 40 ppm, about 50 ppm, about 75 ppm, about 100 ppm, about 125 ppm, about 150 ppm, about 200 ppm, about 250 ppm. , about 300 ppm, about 400 ppm, about 500 ppm, about 750 ppm, about 1000 ppm, about 1250 ppm, or about 1500 ppm of ether amines, or any amount in between. If the ether amine comprises two or more different ether amines, the ether amines can be present in any proportion to each other. In an exemplary embodiment, the ether amines are provided in part I of the composition.

The composition can comprise about 50 to 1500 ppm, about 50 to 1000 ppm, or about 20 to 500 ppm of peracids. For example, the composition may comprise about 10 ppm, about 20 ppm, about 30 ppm, about 40 ppm, about 50 ppm, about 75 ppm, about 100 ppm, about 125 ppm, about 150 ppm, about 200 ppm, about 250 ppm, about 300 ppm, about 400 ppm, about 500 ppm, about 750 ppm, about 1000 ppm, about 1250 ppm, about 1500 ppm or about 2000 ppm of peracids, or any amount in between. If the peracid comprises two or more different peracids, the peracids can be present in any proportion to each other.

Illustrative compositional arrangements are shown in Table 2 below. The ether amines and peracids can be provided in separate parts of the composition, eg, part I and part II, respectively, or as a mixture of parts I and II.

TABLE 2. Concentrations of ether amine and peracid.

In a preferred embodiment, the composition comprises about 50 to 1000 ppm of ether amines and about 200 to 750 ppm of peracids.

In one embodiment, the composition comprises a two-part composition with part I and part II. Parts I and II can be provided as concentrates that can be diluted with a solvent before use. For example, parts I and II can be concentrated solutions of ether amines and peracids (respectively) that are added to a use solution (for example, a wash solution to wash clothes, or a spray to apply to textiles or surfaces. ) in an amount adequate to create a sporicidal effect. The composition (or parts thereof) can be provided as a concentrate that can be diluted about 1: 1, about 1: 5, about 1:10, about 1: 100, about 1: 100-1: 1000, about 1: 500-1 : 2000, about 1: 1000-1: 10000, about 1: 5000-1: 100000 or about 1: 1000-1: 100000 to prepare a use solution. The concentrated solution of part I may comprise ether amines at about 95 to 100% by weight (when the ether amines are provided "neat", without significant dilution), or at about 1 to about 25% by weight, about 5 to about 20 % by weight, or from about 5 to about 10% by weight. The Part II concentrate solution may comprise peracids at about 1 to about 35% by weight, about 2 to about 25% by weight, about 4 to about 20% by weight, or about 5 to about 15% by weight. Alternatively, the peracid can be prepared by mixing the corresponding carboxylic acid with hydrogen peroxide and allowing the mixture to equilibrate, or it can be prepared from a precursor, such as a suitable ester. The ether amines can comprise one or more other ether amines. Similarly, peracids can comprise one or more different peracids. Suitable solvents for diluting the concentrate include water and aqueous solvents, such as aqueous alcohols or other suitable solvents.

In some embodiments, the composition is a mixture of ether amine, peracid, and water, and optionally one or more additional components. The mixture contains about 10 to about 1000 ppm, about 50 to about 500 ppm, or about 75 to about 300 ppm of ether amines; and about 10 to about 1000 ppm, about 50 to about 500 ppm, or about 75 to about 300 ppm of peracids.

Additional components

In some embodiments, the composition may be provided as a booster (eg, a laundry enhancer), added to a wash or wear solution in addition to another composition, such as a laundry detergent. In other embodiments, the composition is formulated as a complete detergent composition, including, for example, suitable surfactants and other components. In still other embodiments, the composition may comprise two or more parts of a multi-part system, where different parts can be applied or used simultaneously or consecutively. Such a multi-part system may comprise a complete detergent composition or be formulated to be mixed with other components to provide a use or a wash solution.

The composition can include any number of additional agents or adjuvants. Specifically, the composition may comprise one or more of one antimicrobial agent, surfactant, antifoam agent, wetting agent, enhancer (also referred to as an active ingredient synergist), thickener, stabilizing agent, hydrotropic or coupling agent, aesthetics enhancing agent (e.g. example, a colorant, odor, fragrance, or masking agent), manufacturing processing aid, preservative, or tracer. Such adjuvants can be pre-formulated with the sporicidal composition or added to the system simultaneously, or after the addition of the sporicidal composition. In some embodiments, the composition is formulated for use with laundry, and the composition can be formulated to comprise non-irritating components. In some other embodiments, the composition is formulated for use with food contact surfaces and the composition can include food grade components.

The composition may optionally comprise additional antimicrobial agents. An additional antimicrobial agent can be added to use the compositions prior to use. Examples of suitable antimicrobial agents include active oxygen compounds, halogen-containing compounds, amine or quaternary ammonium compounds, sulfonic acids, phenolic derivatives, or the like. Common active oxygen compounds include, for example, hydrogen peroxide, percarbonate, perborate, and the like. Halogen-containing antibacterial agents include sodium trichloroisocyanurate, sodium dichloroisocyanate (anhydrous or dihydrate), iodo-poly (vinylpyrrolidinone) complexes, bromine compounds such as 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol, and agents quaternary antimicrobials such as benzalkonium chloride, didecyldimethylammonium chloride, choline diiodochloride, tetramethylphosphonium tribromide. The amine or quaternary ammonium compounds include, for example, alkyldimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride, dialkyldimethylammonium chloride, and N-dialkylethylbenzyl ammonium chloride. A suitable sulfonic acid can be, for example, dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid. Phenolic antimicrobials include pentachlorophenol, orthophenylphenol, a chloro-p-benzylphenol, p-chloro-m-xylenol tertiary phenol, and C ¹ -C ⁶ hydroxy alkyl benzoates. Other antimicrobial compositions such as hexahydro-1,3,5-tris (2-hydroxyethyl) -s-triazine, dithiocarbamates such as sodium dimethyldithiocarbamate, and a variety of other materials are known in the art for their antimicrobial properties.

In some embodiments, an antimicrobial component may be included in the range of 0.001 to 25% by weight of the composition, from about 0.01 to 15% by weight, or from about 0.05 to about 10% by weight.

The composition can comprise one or more surfactants. Suitable surfactants include nonionic, anionic, cationic, amphoteric, water soluble or water dispersible semi-polar nonionic surfactants and zwitterionic surfactants. In some embodiments, the composition comprises low-foaming or non-foaming surfactants.

The one or more surfactants can be added to the composition in any suitable concentration. As with any charged component, care must be taken not to cause inadvertent negative effects, such as solubility problems. Surfactants can be present in a use solution in a concentration range of about 100 to 7000 ppm, about 250 to 6500 ppm, about 400 to 6000 ppm, about 600 to 5500 ppm, or about 1000 to 5000 ppm. The amount of surfactants in the composition can be adjusted according to the intended dilution (if any) and the end use. For example, in typical laundry applications, the amount of surfactant in the use solution is more dilute and can be about 200-1200 ppm, whereas in a typical hard surface cleaning application, the amount of surfactant in the solution usage can be about 1500-5000 ppm.

Nonionic surfactants

Examples of suitable nonionic surfactants include alkoxylated surfactants. Suitable alkoxylated surfactants include alcohol ethoxylates, EO / PO copolymers, blocked EO / PO copolymers, alcohol alkoxylates, blocked alcohol alkoxylates, mixtures of these or the like. Suitable alkoxylated surfactants for use as solvents include EO / PO block copolymers, such as Pluronic and Reverse Pluronic surfactants; alcohol alkoxylates, such as Dehypon LS-54 (R- (EO) ⁵ (PO) ⁴ ) and Dehypon LS-36 (R- (EO) ³ (PO) ⁶ ); and blocked alcohol alkoxylates, such as Plurafac LF221 and Tegoten EC11; mixtures of these, or the like. When used as a solvent, a surfactant, such as a nonionic surfactant, may be in higher concentrations than conventionally employed as a surfactant.

Cationic surfactants

Surfactants are classified as cationic if the charge on the hydrotropic portion of the molecule is positive. In theory, cationic surfactants can be synthesized from any combination of elements that contain an "onium" structure RnX + Y- - and could include compounds other than nitrogen (ammonium) such as phosphorus (phosphonium) and sulfur (sulfonium). In practice, the field of cationic surfactants is dominated by nitrogen-containing compounds. Cationic surfactants preferably include compounds that contain at least one hydrophobic long chain carbon group and at least one positively charged ion.

Examples of suitable cationic surfactants include quaternary ammonium salts, for example alkyl quaternary ammonium chloride surfactants such as alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride (ADBAC) or dialkyldimethylammonium chloride (DADMAC), and n-tetradecylduro-dimethylbenzylammonium chloride monohydrate and ammonium chloride. naphthylene substituted quaternary such as dimethyl-1-naphthylmethylammonium chloride; amines such as primary, secondary and tertiary monoamines with alkyl or alkenyl chains, ethoxylated alkylamines, ethylenediamine alkoxylates, imidazoles such as a 1- (2-hydroxyethyl) -2-imidazoline, a 2-alkyl-1- (2-hydroxyethyl) -2-imidazoline and the like.

Anionic surfactants

Suitable anionic surfactants include sulfonic acids and their salts (sulfonates), phosphate esters, carboxylates, mixtures of these, and the like. Those skilled in the art will recognize the need to avoid causing unintended reactions between anionic surfactants and other charged surfactants, such as ether amines, and will recognize that the amount of anionic surfactants needs to be balanced with the amounts of such other charged surfactants. Preferably, the concentration of anionic surfactants in the use solution is in the range of 0 ppm to 600 ppm, or about 10 ppm to 500 ppm, or about 20 ppm to 200 ppm. For example, the use solution can comprise up to 500 ppm, 400 ppm, 300 ppm, 250 ppm, or 200 ppm of anionic surfactants.

Suitable anionic sulfate surfactants for use in the present compositions include alkyl ether sulfates, alkyl sulfates, linear and branched primary and secondary alkyl sulfates, alkyl ethoxysulfates, fatty oleyl glycerol sulfates, alkyl phenol oxide ethylene ether sulfates, the C ^{5 -acyl} C ⁱ⁷ -N- (C ¹ -C ⁴⁾ and -N- (C ¹ -C ² hydroxyalkyl) glucamine sulfates, and sulfates of alkylpolysaccharides such as the sulfates of alkylpolyglucoside , and the like.

Suitable carboxylate anionic surfactants for use in the present compositions include carboxylic acids (and salts), such as alkanoic acids (and alkanoates), ester carboxylic acids (eg, alkyl succinates), ether carboxylic acids, and the like. Such carboxylates include alkyl ethoxy carboxylates, alkyl aryl ethoxy carboxylates, alkyl polyethoxy polycarboxylate surfactants, and soaps (eg, alkyl carboxyls). Secondary carboxylates useful in the present compositions include those that contain a carboxyl unit attached to a secondary carbon. Suitable carboxylates also include acylamino acids (and salts), such as acylglutamates, acyl peptides, sarcosinates (eg, N-acyl sarcosinates), taurates (eg, N-acyl taurates, and methyl tauride fatty acid amides), and the like.

Semi-polar non-ionic surfactants

The composition may further comprise one or more nonionic semi-polar surfactants. Suitable nonionic semi-polar surfactants include, for example, phosphine oxides, sulfoxides, and their alkoxylated derivatives. Amphoteric surfactants

Amphoteric or ampholytic surfactants contain both a basic and acidic hydrophilic group and an organic hydrophobic group. These ionic entities can be similar to the anionic or cationic groups comprised in the other types of surfactants. Typical functional groups in amphoteric surfactants include a basic nitrogen group and an acidic carboxylate group. In some amphoteric surfactants, the negative charge is provided by a sulfonate, sulfate, phosphonate, or phosphate group.

Amphoteric surfactants can be broadly described as derivatives of aliphatic secondary and tertiary amines, in which the aliphatic radical can be straight or branched chain and in which one of the aliphatic substituents contains 8 to 18 carbon atoms and one contains an anionic group. soluble in water, eg carboxy, sulfo, sulfate, phosphate or phosphono. Amphoteric surfactants are subdivided into two main classes known to those skilled in the art and are described in "Surfactant Encyclopedia" Cosmetics & Toiletries, Vol. 104 (2) 69-71 (1989). The first class includes acyl / dialkyl ethylenediamine derivatives (eg, 2-alkyl hydroxyethyl imidazoline derivatives) and their salts. The second class includes the N-alkylamino acids and their salts. Some amphoteric surfactants can be envisioned to fit into both classes.

Zwitterionic surfactants

Zwitterionic surfactants can be considered as a subset of amphoteric surfactants and can include an anionic charge. Zwitterionic surfactants can be broadly described as derivatives of secondary and tertiary amines, derivatives of heterocyclic secondary and tertiary amines, or derivatives of quaternary ammonium, quaternary phosphonium, or tertiary sulfonium compounds. Typically, a zwitterionic surfactant includes a positively charged quaternary ammonium or, in some cases, a sulfonium or phosphonium ion; a negatively charged carboxyl group; and an alkyl group. Zwitterionics generally contain cationic and anionic groups which ionize to an almost equal degree in the isoelectric region of the molecule and which can develop a strong "inner salt" attraction between the positive-negative charge centers. Examples of such synthetic zwitterionic surfactants include derivatives of aliphatic quaternary ammonium, phosphonium and sulfonium, where the aliphatic radicals can be straight or branched chain and where one of the aliphatic substituents contains 8 to 18 carbon atoms and one contains a water soluble anionic group, for example carboxy, sulfonate, sulfate, phosphate or phosphonate. The betaine and sultaine surfactants are exemplary zwitterionic surfactants for use herein.

The composition can comprise one or more antifoam agents. Suitable antifoaming agents include, for example, silicones, aliphatic acids, or esters; alcohols, sulfates or sulfonates; amines or amides; vegetable oils, waxes, mineral oils, as well as their sulphated derivatives; fatty acid soaps such as alkali metal, alkaline earth metal soaps; and mixtures of these. Examples of suitable silicone defoamers include dimethyl silicone, polysiloxane glycol, methylphenol polysiloxane, trialkyl or tetraalkyl silanes, and hydrophobic silica defoamers. These antifoaming agents can be present in a concentration range of about 0.01% by weight to 5% by weight, about 0.01% by weight to 2% by weight, or about 0.01% by weight to about 1%. in weigh.

The composition can comprise one or more wetting agents. Wetting agents function to increase the surface contact or penetration activity of the sporicidal composition.

The composition may comprise one or more thickeners or gelling agents. Suitable thickeners include inorganic thickeners, organic thickeners, oligomeric thickeners, and associative thickeners. These can include natural gums such as xanthan gum, guar gum or other gums from plant mucilage; modified cellulose derivatives; oligomeric organic thickeners; and hydrocolloid thickeners, such as pectin and inorganic silicates and clays. In one embodiment, the thickener leaves no contaminating residue on the surface of an object. For example, thickeners or gelling agents can be compatible with foods or other sensitive products in contact areas. In general, the concentration of thickener used in the present compositions will be dictated by the desired viscosity within the final composition or use solution. However, as a general guideline, the amount of thickener suitable for use in the present composition ranges from about 0.1% by weight to about 1.5% by weight, from about 0.1% by weight to about 1% by weight. , or from about 0.1% by weight to about 0.5% by weight.

The composition can optionally be formulated as a solid (eg, a molded or pressed block, a powder, or a granulated powder) using a solidifying agent. In an exemplary embodiment, the composition is formulated in block form with a detergent. Suitable solidifying agents include solid polyethylene glycol (PEG), solid polypropylene glycol, solid EO / PO block copolymer, amide, urea (also known as carbamide), nonionic surfactant (which can be used with a coupler), starch that has been made water soluble (for example, by an acid or alkaline treatment process), cellulose made water soluble, inorganic agent, poly (maleic anhydride / methyl vinyl ether), polymethacrylic acid, other generally functional or inert materials with high melting points, mixtures of these and the like.

Examples of solidification agents include a solid glycol polyethylene glycol or a solid polypropylene glycol, which may, for example, a molecular weight of 1400-30 000. In certain embodiments, the solidification agent includes or is ^p E ^g solid, for example PEG 1500 to PEG 20,000. In certain embodiments, PEG includes PEG 1450, PEG 3350, PEG 4500, PEG 8000, PEG 20,000, and the like. Suitable solid polyethylene glycols are commercially available from Union Carbide under the trade name CARBOWAX.

Examples of amide-based solidifying agents include stearic monoethanolamide, lauric diethanolamide, stearic diethanolamide, stearic monoethanol amide, cocodiethylamide, an alkylamide, mixtures thereof, and the like.

Examples of nonionic surfactant solidifying agents include ethoxylated nonylphenol, an ethoxylated linear alkyl alcohol, an ethylene oxide / propylene oxide block copolymer, mixtures of these, or the like. Suitable ethylene oxide / propylene oxide block copolymers include those sold under the trade name Pluronic (eg, Pluronic 108 and Pluronic F68) and commercially available from BASF Corporation. In some embodiments, the nonionic surfactant can be selected to be solid at room temperature or at the temperature at which the composition will be stored or used. In other embodiments, the nonionic surfactant can be selected to have reduced aqueous solubility in combination with the coupling agent. Suitable couplers that can be employed with the nonionic surfactant solidifying agent include propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, mixtures of these, or the like.

Examples of inorganic solidifying agents include phosphate salts (eg, alkali metal phosphate), sulfate salts (eg, magnesium sulfate, sodium sulfate, or sodium bisulfate), acetate salts (eg, acetate sodium anhydrous), borates (eg sodium borate), silicates (eg the precipitated or pyrogenic forms) (eg Sipernat 50® available from Degussa), carbonate salt (eg calcium carbonate or hydrate carbonate), other known hydratable compounds, mixtures of these and the like. In one embodiment, the inorganic solidifying agent includes an organic phosphonate compound and a carbonate salt, such as an E-Form composition.

In some embodiments, the compositions include any agent or combination of agents that provide a required degree of solidification and aqueous solubility. In other embodiments, increasing the concentration of the solidifying agent in the present composition may tend to increase the hardness of the composition. In still other embodiments, lowering the concentration of the solidifying agent may tend to soften or soften the concentrated composition.

The composition may comprise one or more stabilizing agents, for example, to stabilize the peracid and hydrogen peroxide in the composition and to prevent premature degradation of the constituents.

Suitable stabilizing agents include chelating or sequestering agents. Suitable sequestrants include organic chelating compounds that sequester metal ions in solution, particularly transition metal ions. For example, such agents include the organic complexing agents for amino or hydroxyphosphonic acid (either in soluble acid or salt form), carboxylic acids (eg, polymeric polycarboxylate), hydroxycarboxylic acids, or aminocarboxylic acids.

The sequestrant can be or include phosphonic acid or phosphonate salt. Suitable phosphonic acids and phosphonate salts include 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP); ethylenediaminetetrakismethylenephosphonic acid (EDTMP); diethylenetriamineoentakismethylenephosphonic acid (DTPMP); cyclohexane-1,2-tetramethylenephosphonic acid; amino [tri (methylene phosphonic acid)]; (ethylenediamine [tetramethylene phosphonic acid)]; 2-phosphenobutane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid; or salts thereof, such as alkali metal salts, ammonium salts or alkyloylamine salts, such as mono-, di-, or tetraethanolamine salts; or mixtures of these.

Commercially available chelating agents include phosphonates sold under the trade name DEQUEST® (available from Monsanto Industrial Chemicals Co., St. Louis, MO) including, for example, 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (DEQUEST® 2010) ; amino (tri (methylene phosphonic acid)) ( ^d EQU ^e S ^t ® 2000); ethylenediamine [tetra (methylene phosphonic acid)] (DEQUEST® 2041); and 2-phosphonobutane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid (eg, BAYHIBIT® AM available from Lanxess GmbH in Leverkusen, Germany).

In certain embodiments, the present composition includes the stabilizing agent at about 0.01 to about 3 (eg, 2.5)% by weight, about 0.01 to about 2 (eg, 2.5)% by weight, or about 0.01 to about 1.5% by weight.

The composition can comprise one or more hydrotropes, also called coupling agents. A hydrotrope can increase the miscibility, solubility, or phase stability of organic and inorganic materials in aqueous solution and can be useful in a composition containing a carboxylic acid or peroxycarboxylic acid. A hydrotrope can also facilitate long-term physical stability and / or homogeneity of a composition. Examples of suitable hydrotropes include non-aqueous liquid carriers or solvents. Suitable solvents include propylene oxide glycol ether (for example, a DOWANOL® P series, available from Dow Chemical, Midland, MI or an ethylene oxide based glycol ether. Suitable propylene oxide glycols include a dipropylene glycol n- propyl ether sold under the trade name DOWANOL DPnB by Dow Chemical A stabilizing hydrotrope or coupling agent may be present in the composition at, for example, about 0.01 to about 5% by weight, about 0.05 to about 4% by weight or about 0.05 to about 3% by weight.

The pH of the composition can be adjusted to provide optimal sporicidal, antimicrobial and / or detersive activity. The pH can also be adjusted for the intended use, such as wearing clothes or cleaning surfaces or objects.

For example, in an embodiment where the composition is used in a laundry application and where the amine is first added to the laundry (e.g., as part I of the composition), the pH of the wash solution can be adjusted. at a pH of about 7-12, or about 9-11. The pH of the solution can be optimized based on several factors, such as the hardness of the water and other components included in the composition (for example, part I of the composition), or included in a laundry detergent that may be present in the wash solution while adding composition. If the peracid is added to the wash solution, the pH of the wash solution is lowered and it may become neutral or acidic. For example, when the peracid is added, the pH of the wash solution can be from about 3 to about 9, from about 4 to about 8, or from about 4 to about 6, depending on the pH of the wash solution before adding the peracid. If the pH of the wash solution was raised before adding the peracid, for example, from about 10 to about 11, the addition of the peracid composition (for example, Part II of the composition) can lower the pH to about 7 to 8.

In one embodiment in which the composition is used to clean surfaces, such as hard surfaces, semi-hard surfaces (eg, wood or textile covered surfaces), or medical or dental instruments, the pH of the The composition can be from about 3 to about 10.5, from about 3.5 to about 10, or from about 4 to about 9.

Suitable pH modifiers include bases and acids. Examples of bases include alkali metal hydroxides (eg, sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide), amines, carbonates, bicarbonates, and silicates. Examples of acids include organic acids, such as carboxylic acids and inorganic acids.

The composition can optionally include a buffer. Examples of suitable buffers include phosphates, carbonates, bicarbonates, and citrates. Examples of phosphates include anhydrous mono, di, or trisodium phosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, and tetrapotassium pyrophosphate. Exemplary carbonates include sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, and sesquicarbonate. Exemplary citrates include sodium or potassium citrate.

The composition can optionally include one or more additional functional ingredients including but not limited to dyes or pigments or perfumes.

Dyes, pigments and perfumes. Various colorants, pigments, perfumes, and other cosmetic enhancing agents may optionally be included in the composition. Colorants can be included to alter the appearance of the composition, such as Direct Blue 86 (Miles), Fastusol Blue (Mobay Chemical Corp.), Acid Orange 7 (American Cyanamid), Basic Violet 10 (Sandoz), Acid Yellow 23 ( GAF), Acid Yellow 17 (Sigma Chemical), Sap Green (Keyston Analine and Chemical), Metanil Yellow (Keystone Analine and Chemical), Acid Blue 9 (Hilton Davis), Sandolan Blue / Acid Blue 182 (Sandoz), Hisol Fast Red (Capitol Color and Chemical), Fluorescein (Capitol Color and Chemical), Acid Green 25 (Ciba-Geigy) and the like. Fragrances or perfumes that can be included in the compositions include, for example, terpenoids such as citronellol, aldehydes such as amyl cinnamaldehyde, jasmone such as CIS-jasmone or jasmal, SZ-6929 (commercially available from Sozio Fragrance), vanillin and the like.

In one embodiment, the composition is provided in a spray bottle and applied by spraying. For example, the composition can be provided in a two-chamber spray bottle 1 shown in Figure 1, where part I is in the first chamber 11 and part II is in the second chamber 12. Parts I and II are mixed after application when the composition is sprayed from the spray bottle 1. The spray bottle 1 may include an adjustable mixing assembly 14 that allows the parts to be mixed in a desired ratio. In an exemplary embodiment, the composition is provided as a kit comprising a spray bottle having two chambers and an adjustable spray assembly in fluid communication with both chambers, where part I is housed in one of the two chambers and comprises approximately 10 at about 2000 ppm ether amine in water; and part II is housed in another of the two chambers and comprises from about 10 to about 2000 ppm of percarboxylic acid in water.

Methods of use of the compositions

The compositions described are particularly suitable for use in the washing of textiles and cleaning of surfaces, such as hard surfaces, semi-hard surfaces (for example, covered surfaces of wood or textiles), furniture, equipment and instruments, such as medical instruments. and dental. Medical instruments can include, for example, surgical instruments and endoscopic instruments. The composition can be formulated with the desired end use in mind.

The composition can be used at room temperature or at higher or lower temperatures, for example, from about 10 ° C to about 99 ° C, about 15 ° C to about 90 ° C, about 20 ° C to about 80 ° C, about 25 ° C. ° C to about 70 ° C. In some examples, the composition is used at room temperature, for example, from about 18 ° C to about 30 ° C, or from about 18 ° C to about 26 ° C. In some other examples, the composition is used at an elevated temperature, such as about 40 ° C, about 50 ° C, or about 60 ° C. The effectiveness of the composition can be increased at elevated temperatures.

In laundry applications, the composition can be applied to the wash water directly, either by dosing the components separately (simultaneously or consecutively) or by dosing a mixture of components. The composition can be dosed as a concentrate or as a dilute use solution. The composition can be dosed into the wash solution before or after applying the wash solution to the textiles, or it can be applied directly to the textiles. The composition can be used as a pre-treatment or as a post-treatment (eg, as a rinse). The composition can also be formulated as a detergent composition or can be used simultaneously with a detergent composition.

According to the embodiments, the dosage sequence of the ether amine component and the peracid component can be varied, in part, based on the concentration of the components. The term "dose" is used here to refer to the final concentration of the components in the use solution (eg, wash solution). In some embodiments, the components can be dosed simultaneously. For example, in some embodiments, the ether amine component is first dosed into a first wash solution and the first wash solution is applied to textiles; the first wash solution is drained and the composition of peracid to a second wash solution that is applied to textiles. After draining the second wash solution, the textiles can be rinsed or subjected to another wash cycle (optionally with a detergent composition). Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the methods described herein also encompass more complicated dosing sequences. For example, more sequential steps can be added to the method, by dosing each of the components more than once, optionally at different concentrations, by varying the order of dosing.

In accordance with some embodiments, the composition can be used to treat surfaces, such as food handling surfaces (eg, countertops, food handling equipment and utensils), general premises surfaces (eg, floors, walls, ceilings, exterior of furniture, etc.), or equipment surfaces (for example, medical equipment, manufacturing equipment, processing equipment, etc.). The composition can be applied to the surface to be treated by any suitable method, such as spraying, pouring, dripping, cleaning or scrubbing, etc. The composition can be provided, for example, as a ready-to-use spray or cleaning cloth. In one embodiment, the composition is applied to the surface as a mixture comprising ether amine and peracid. In another embodiment, the composition is a two-part composition, in which part I is applied to the surface first and part II is applied. A two-part composition can also be used when mixing Parts I and II prior to application to a surface or object.

Examples

Various compositions were prepared and tested for removing microbial spores from cotton cloth and from a glass surface. The experimental conditions and results are detailed in the Examples below.

Example 1

Aqueous solutions of amine ether (Part I) and peracid (Part II) were prepared. A solution of amine ether (octyl / decyloxypropyl-1,3-diaminopropane) (Part I) was prepared in deionized water and the pH was adjusted to 9.0 using glycolic acid. TOMAMINE DA1214 was used as the ether amine. TOMAMiNe DA1214 contains approximately 50-60% by weight of 1,3-propanediamine, N- [3- (octylocy) propyl] and approximately 35-40% by weight of 1,3-propanediamine, N- [3- (decylocyl) propyl], and is available from Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., in Allentown, PA. The peracid (peracetic acid) solution (Part II) was prepared from TSUNAMI® 100 (15% peracetic acid), available from Ecolab Inc., in St Paul, MN

Cotton tissue samples (5mm x 5mm) were inoculated with C. diff. AATCC 43598 at 35 ° C for 48 hours. After inoculation, the samples were treated with a first solution comprising part I of the composition at 50 ° C for a first exposure time; it is removed from the first solution with sterile forceps and immediately transferred to a second solution comprising part II of the composition for a second exposure time. In the comparative treatments, the solutions included only water. After treatment, the number of surviving spores was evaluated and the logarithmic reduction of spores was compared with the comparative treatment (water only).

In Example 1, the first exposure time was 10 minutes (Part I) and the second exposure time was 5 minutes (Part II).

Three experiments were carried out. The results are shown in Tables 3A-3C below.

TABLE 3A. Fabric samples, consecutive treatment

TABLE 3B. Fabric samples, consecutive treatment

(continuation)

TABLE 3C. Fabric samples, consecutive treatment

It was observed that none of the treatments (amine ether or peracid) alone resulted in a significant reduction in spores. A concentration of 5000 ppm of amine ether achieved a 0.27 log reduction and 300 ppm of peracid a 1.02 log reduction (TABLE 3A) and 0.69 (TABLE 3C); 500 ppm peracid achieved a log reduction of 3.15. It was further noted that the application of part I and part II separately resulted in a synergistic effect, achieving significant logarithmic reductions. However, a high concentration (5000 ppm) of ether amine with 300 ppm of peracid resulted in a lower log reduction (2.23 in TABLE 3A and 1.62 in TABLE 3B) than the lower concentrations. The synergistic effect was strongest at concentrations of less than 5000 ppm of amine ether.

Without wishing to be bound by theory, it was hypothesized that the application of a high concentration (5000 ppm) of ether amine left residual ether amine in the tissue samples, and when the samples were moved to the second solution, the ether amine Residual reacted antagonistically with the peracid.

Example 2

The treatment described above for Example 1 was applied to glass squares (5mm x 5mm) in a first part of the experiment, where the first exposure time was 10 minutes (part I) and the second exposure time It was 5 minutes (part II). In a second part of the experiment, the amine ether and the peracid were mixed before treatment and the exposure time was 15 minutes. The results of the first part of the experiment are shown in TABLE 4A and of the second part of the experiment in TABLE 4B.

Table 4A. Glass surface, consecutive treatment

Table 4B. Glass surface, simultaneous treatment

Consecutive treatment with part I and part II resulted in the removal of virtually all spores from the glass squares. In contrast, when ether amine and peracid were mixed, a small reduction in spores was achieved.

Without wishing to be bound by theory, it was hypothesized that ether-amine and peracid, when mixed, act antagonistically to each other, thus preventing them from acting against spores.

Example 3

The treatment described in Example 2 was repeated at room temperature ("RT", approximately 23 ° C). Part I was prepared with amine ether DA-1214 and Part II with peroxyacetic acid. Exposure times were 10 minutes for Part I and 5 minutes for Part II. The results are shown in Table 5 below.

TABLE 5. Glass surface, room temperature.

The addition of an amine ether treatment to the peracid was found to improve log reduction even at room temperature.

Example 4

Consecutive and simultaneous treatment with low concentration (100 ppm) of amine ether and peracetic acid was tested on fabric squares. The fabric squares were treated as in Example 1 with treatment times of 10 min (part I) and 5 minutes (part II), except with the simultaneous treatment, where ether amine and peracid were mixed before treatment and the time of exposure was 5 minutes.

The results are shown in Table 6 below.

TABLE 6. Fabric samples, consecutive vs simultaneous treatment

The log reductions for consecutive and simultaneous treatments were very similar. It was concluded that as long as the amine ether concentration remains relatively low, the components (part I and part II) can be mixed during the treatment without a significant loss of efficiency.

Example 5

Various ether amines were tested for their effectiveness in eradicating bacterial spores from tissue samples. The fabric samples were treated according to the ASTM protocol for evaluating laundry disinfectants and disinfectants (ASTM E2274-09). The ASTM protocol provides more realistic conditions for textile washing, where tested textiles are embedded within a fabric package to mimic the composition's ability to penetrate the fabric with less exposure to the wash solution.

Three different amine ether solutions were tested: DA-1214 (octyl / decyloxypropyl-1,3-diaminopropane), DA-1618 (dodecyl / tetradecyloxypropyl-1,3-diaminopropane) and PA-14 (isodecyloxypropyl amine). Part I and Part II were added together at the beginning of the experiment for a combined exposure time of 10 minutes. The solutions were transformed into deionized water as described in Example 1, with the pH adjusted to 9.0 by glycolic acid. However, PA-14 has already been neutralized to pH 7 with sodium acetate. The logarithmic reduction of spores in the wash solution and in the tissue sample was measured. The reduction of spores was compared with the number of spores in the reference treatment (only water). The results of the tests are shown in TABLE 7 below.

TABLE 7. Fabric samples (ASTM protocol), simultaneous treatment

Amines alone were found to have virtually no spore impact on either the wash solution or the tissue sample, whereas the peracid alone was effective at removing spores in the wash solution, but less so on the tissue sample. . Consecutive treatments with each of the ether amines and peracid removed all spores in the wash solution and were also effective against spores in the fabric samples. Of the ether amines tested, DA-1618 was found to be the most effective against spores in the fabric samples.

Example 6

The treatment of the tissue samples was tested in hard water with adjusted pH. The wash solution contained 500 ppm hard synthetic water and the pH was adjusted to 10.5 with NaOH prior to the addition of peracid. After the addition of the peracid, the pH of the wash solution was between 7-8. DA-1214 was used as the amine ether and peracetic acid as the peracid.

The logarithmic reduction of spores in the wash solution and in the tissue sample was measured. The reduction of spores was compared with the number of spores in the reference treatment (only water). The combined treatment time was 10 minutes. The test results are shown in TABLE 8 below.

TABLE 8. Fabric Samples (ASTM E2274), Simultaneous Treatment, Hard Water

Treatment with ether amine and peracid was found to kill all spores present in the wash solution and in the tissue sample. It was concluded that the efficacy of the consecutive treatment with amine ether and peracid was not reduced by the alkaline hard water.

Example 7

The use of different peracids was tested. The fabric samples were treated using the ASTM test described in Example 5. Part I was prepared with 100 ppm ether amine (DA-1618). Part II was prepared with 200 ppm peroxyacetic acid ("POAA") or peroxyoctanoic acid ("POOA"). When both Part I Like Part II, the chemicals were added simultaneously. The exposure time was 10 min at 50 ° C. The results are shown in Table 9 below.

TABLE 9. Comparison of peracids.

It was observed that the addition of amine ether to peroxyacetic acid resulted in a significant increase in kill. Peroxyoctanoic acid alone was almost as effective as peroxyacetic acid and ether amine combined. However, the addition of amine ether to peroxyoctanoic acid reduced death. Peroxyoctanoic acid and ether amine were found to be both highly hydrophobic and therefore have affinity for each other. Therefore, it was hypothesized that when the two chemicals were added simultaneously in solution, they would agglomerate and cause a reduction in kill.

Claims (15)

1. A method of removing bacterial spores in an article suspected of bacterial spore contamination, the method comprises: preparing a first use solution by mixing about 10 to about 2000 ppm of amine ether in water and a second use solution by mixing about 10 to about 2000 ppm of percarboxylic acid in water; apply the first use solution to the article; and apply the second use solution to the article. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the ether amine comprises one or more ether amines having 1-22 carbon atoms, preferably wherein the ether amine comprises one or more ether amines having 10-18 carbon atoms. 3. The method of any of claims 1-2, wherein the use solution comprises 25-1500 ppm of amine ether, preferably wherein the use solution comprises 25-1000 ppm of amine ether, more preferably wherein the solution of use comprises 50-500 ppm of amine ether. 4. The method of any of claims 1-3, wherein the percarboxylic acid comprises one or more percarboxylic acids having 2-12 carbon atoms. 5. The method of any of claims 1-4, wherein the use solution comprises 10-1500 ppm of percarboxylic acid, preferably wherein the use solution comprises 50-1000 ppm of percarboxylic acid, more preferably where the solution of use comprises 50-500 ppm of percarboxylic acid. 6. The method of any of claims 1-5, wherein the article comprises a textile or hard surface. 7. The method of any of claims 1-6, wherein the use solution further comprises one or more surfactants. 8. The method of any of claims 1-7, wherein the use solution further comprises one or more pH modifiers. The method of any of claims 1-8, wherein the first use solution and the second use solution are added applied simultaneously, consecutively or cumulatively to the article. The method of any of claims 1-9, wherein the first use solution and the second use solution are prepared simultaneously as a single use solution by dosing the amine ether and the percarboxylic acid in the water. The method of claim 10, wherein the sole use solution comprises a laundry solution. 12. The method of any of claims 1-11, wherein the use solution is applied to a hard surface of the article. The method of claim 12, wherein the use solution is applied to the article by spraying, pouring, cleaning or scrubbing. 14. A kit comprising: a spray bottle having two chambers and an adjustable spray assembly in fluid communication with both chambers; a first solution housed in one of the two chambers and comprising from about 10 to about 2000 ppm of amine ether in water; and a second solution housed in another of the two chambers and comprising from about 10 to about 2000 ppm of percarboxylic acid in water. 15. A composition comprising a mixture of: about 10 to about 1000 ppm of ether amines; about 10 to about 1000 ppm of peracids; and Water.